Robot Surgery

The da Vinci Surgical System is a gestural control system that enables doctors to perform precise surgical procedures by manipulating robotic arms. The gesture controls technique is a way for humans to communicate with a machine and interact naturally without mechanical devices. The surgical system enables a surgeon to sit at a console, with a system that translates the surgeons hand movements into corresponding micro-movements of instruments inside a patient’s body. To perform a surgical procedure with the system, the surgeon uses the console’s master controls to maneuver the three or four robotic arms. The instruments’ jointed-wrist design exceeds the natural range of motion of the human hand. The da Vinci System always requires a human operator, and incorporates multiple redundant safety features designed to minimize opportunities for human error. These robots provide better visualization, dexterity, precision and control than open surgery, while enabling the surgeon to perform procedures through small incision. The da Vinci System has been designed to improve on conventional laparoscopy, in which the surgeon operates while standing, using hand-held instruments. In contrast, the da Vinci System’s ergonomic design allows the surgeon to operate from a seated position at a console, with eyes and hands positioned in line with the instruments. To move the instruments or to reposition the camera, the surgeon just has to move his/her hands. For the patient, the da Vinci procedure can offer all the potential benefits of a minimally invasive procedure, including less pain, less blood loss and less need for blood transfusions. Moreover, the da Vinci System can also enable a shorter hospital stay, a quicker recovery and faster return to normal daily activities. The advancement in this technology can eventually allow surgeons to treat patients in remote areas, like soldiers in combat zones or astronauts in space.